Budget Committee members of the Pope County Quorum Court will discuss tonight whether to appropriate $25,000 for the Circuit Clerk's office to better preserve its records.

Circuit Clerk Fern Tucker submitted a written request for the funds May 23, stating her office wanted its old mortgage and deed index books and recording books scanned and saved in CD format.

In an interview with The Courier, Tucker said the deeds, which date back to the 1830s, have seen a recent increase in use because of research by oil and gas company representatives.

"These books are in such bad shape," Tucker said from the office vault, pointing to a row of books bound together with clear tape. "And with these books, if we lose a page, it's gone. There's no more record of that property."

Tucker also pointed to an empty section in the vault that only had space for about 15 more books.

"We're just running out of room," Tucker said, noting that should the quorum court approve the funding to transfer the older documents to CD format, those original documents could be placed in storage to make room for new ones.

Tucker is expected to make her request at the committee's 7 p.m. meeting at the Pope County Courthouse in Russellville.